Hello!
I'm Chelsea Swall, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, based in San Francisco. And I’m all about honoring what makes you YOU! I know how important it is to receive care that embraces diversity of identity, expression, relationships, and values.
I love helping my clients discover who they are, what they want from life, and how to connect deeply with themselves and others. My clients come away from therapy feeling proud of who they are and the incredible work they’ve accomplished.
What is working with me like?
I’m warm, down-to-earth, and interactive. I see clients weekly or twice a week so we can do the deep work necessary for lasting change. My therapeutic approach is relationally-focused and depth-oriented which means I place an emphasis on building a trusting, safe, and authentic relationship.
How long does therapy last?
This isn’t a band-aid for the present — this is a restructuring of self! That takes time and practice. There is no set end date to our work together so we will check in about this as we go along. I have found the most satisfaction and impact from multi-year therapy as our trust, safety, and rapport strengthen over time.
What issues can we address?
I help clients address a wide range of life challenges including:
Self-worth & self-esteem
Loneliness
Codependency
Intimacy, Connection, & Attachment
Relationship Issues (partner/spouse, parenting, dating, friends, peers, colleagues, etc.)
Grief & Loss
Trauma
Anxiety
Depression
LGBTQQIA+ Identity
Consensual Non-Monogamy (Polyamory, Open Relationships, Relationship Anarchy, Swinging, etc.)
What is your therapeutic approach?
I use an integrative approach based in relational-cultural, attachment, psychodynamic, and humanistic/existential theories. What?! Right. In very basic terms, my approach is based in the following concepts...
Our relationships, cultures, & societies shape us.
We each desire love, acceptance, and safety.
Our primary relationships and experiences in childhood greatly shape the way we relate to ourselves and others.
We develop strategies (coping mechanisms) and negative beliefs about ourselves in response to rejection, oppression, dysfunction, neglect, abuse, and trauma. These strategies and beliefs often follow us into adulthood and are worth exploring. While they served to protect us at one point, they may no longer be serving their purpose.
We heal through experiencing healthy, respectful, accepting relationships (like the one we will develop together).
Therapy gives us a chance to learn and practice new healthy ways of relating to ourselves and others.
We each have the capacity to deepen our self-awareness, cultivate self-acceptance, and welcome the responsibility of creating a life that is uniquely meaningful for each of us.
